This invention relates to liquid-spraying systems comprising
(a) an elongated tubular conduit means adapted for the flow of liquid therethrough, PA0 (b) a tube wall of liquid-tight, elastically resilient material, PA0 (c) liquid feeding means connected to one of the ends of the conduit means, PA0 (d) closing means for at least substantially closing off the other end of the conduit means, and PA0 (e) a plurality of perforations of substantially circular cross sectional area through the tube wall and leading from the conduit interior to outside of the external tube wall surface. PA0 (a) an elongated tubular conduit means adapted for the flow of liquid therethrough, having two ends and an elongated conduit interior extending from one end of the conduit means to the other, and being of the configuration of a helix having a central helix axis and confining an internal helix space, PA0 said helix being adapted for positioning with its axis disposed substantially vertically, the diameter and height of the helix being such as to house a person standing or sitting within the internal space of the helix of vertically disposed helix axis, which conduit means comprise: PA0 (b) a tube wall of liquid-tight, elastically resilient material, being non-swelling in contact with water of a temperature of 60.degree. C. or higher and with organic extraction solvents, which tube wall surrounds the elongated conduit interior and has an external and an internal tube wall surface, PA0 (c) one end of the conduit means is adapted for connection to a source of bath water of adjustable temperature, PA0 (d) closing means for at least substantially closing off the other end of the conduit means, PA0 (e) a plurality of substantially capillary-active and uniform perforations preferably of substantially circular cross-sectional area through the tube wall leading from the conduit interior to outside the external tube wall surface, which perforations are substantially uniformly distributed. PA0 (a) directing a stream of the first liquid through a first elongated channel from an entry end toward a terminal end of the first channel, and maintaining in the first channel a determined pressure above ambient, PA0 (b) directing a stream of a second liquid of different density, counter-currently to the first liquid stream, through a second elongated channel from an entry end toward a terminal end of the second channel, and maintaining in the second channel an excess pressure higher than the pressure in the first channel, PA0 the first and second channels having longitudinal axes, and one of the first and second liquids being the heavier, and the other the lighter one, PA0 (c) maintaining between the first and second channels, a separating wall zone of liquid-tight elastically resilient material being substantially non-swelling when in contact with water having a temperature of 60.degree. C. or higher, or when in contact with organic extraction solvents, which wall zone has a first and a second contact surface on opposite sides thereof, which surfaces border on the first and second channels, respectively, extending parallel with the axes of the said channels; PA0 this wall zone contains a plurality of crosswise passages therethrough from the first to the second contact surface, which passages are distributed uniformly along the said wall zone in axial direction; PA0 (d) passing a large number of streams of the first liquid, ejected from the first channel through the said passages successively into the second channel, and intermingling the first liquid streams therein cross-currently with the stream of second liquid flowing countercurrently through the second channel, while at the same time maintaining the exit end of the first channel at least substantially obturated, thereby maintaining in the first channel a determined pressure above the pressure prevailing in the second channel, and maintaining the exit end of the second channel obturated, PA0 (e) ejecting a large number of fine liquid jets of the resulting liquid mixture iteratively out of the second channel, transversely to the direction of liquid flow through that channel; PA0 (f) collecting groups of the ejected liquid jets, from successive ejection zones of the second channel, PA0 (g) settling the portions of the liquid mixture, obtained from such zones, with phase separation, PA0 (h) separating the resulting heavier and lighter phases of each liquid portion from each other, PA0 (i) back-feeding the separated heavier phase of a liquid portion from an intermediate zone of the second channel, into approximately the same zone, but of that channel which contains the stream of the heavier liquid, and PA0 (j) back-feeding the lighter phase of a liquid portion from an intermediate zone of the second channel, into approximately the same zone of that channel which contains the stream of the lighter liquid; PA0 (k) recovering from that ejection zone last preceding the terminal end of the second channel one of the phases resulting from the separation of the liquid portion collected from that zone, and back-feeding the other phase into the said first channel, in the same, last-mentioned ejection zone.
It will be understood that the tubular conduit means, e.g. a hose, has two ends and an elongated conduit interior extending from one end of the conduit means to the other, that the tube wall surrounds the elongated conduit interior and has an external and an internal tube wall surface, and that the liquid feeding means are adapted for causing liquid to flow into the conduit interior.
In a first aspect, the invention relates to a tubular, perforated, enveloping shower system comprising conduit means having the configuration of a helix and being adapted for directing water jets directly and simultaneously to all areas of a user's body surface even including the lowermost end thereof, which shower comprises temperature adjusting means to set a desired water temperature and height-adjusting means enabling the user to deploy the tubular helical shower about himself up to a desired height. The shower should comprise at least two helix windings of a tube having perforations in the inner sidewall thereof, i.e. the sidewall which is directed radially toward a central longitudinal axis of the helix, and should be connectable to a water main or to the outlet faucet of a hot water storage tank or a conventional adjustable mixer delivering a mixture of cold tap water and hot water at a desired temperature.
More particularly, such shower system comprises
This type of shower system has been described in the French patent to S.A. dite SAEREXI, of Calvados, France, having Publication No. 2,032,014. This shower system is also provided with suspension means connecting the windings of the tube constituting the helix at a given spacing and support means from which the suspension means depend and which can comprise a system of crinoline-like rings.
However, when using tubes having a conventional type of perforation in a given configuration and arrangement of the holes in the tube wall, it has been found that the user will not be able to suffer, over a prolonged period of time, i.e. several minutes up to 5 or even 10 minutes, water jets having a temperature of more than 40.degree. C., and usually only about 38.degree. to 39.degree. C., i.e. one or two degrees above normal body temperature.
When taking a normal shower, a water temperature above 40.degree. C. (104.degree. F.) is barely supported by the user. The shower also has a stimulating effect on blood circulation, however the bundle of water impinges in a relatively limited area of the user's body and still leaves areas of the skin unattained which permits the user to register temperatures differences which cause such person to stop the shower, usually without having reached transpiration. On an average, a shower is used by a person for less than 3 minutes.
Installations as can be found in spas, which permit thermal baths or prolonged showers, require costly apparatus and personnel.
Moreover, it is difficult to avoid a pressure drop over a distance of several meters and maintain a uniform ejection of liquid from so many nozzles when the nozzle openings have been punched or pierced in such material as sheet iron or the like metal, when the available pressure is in the order of water pressure from the city main. The longer the distance from the pressure source and the larger the number of nozzles, the more difficult does it become to maintain a relatively uniform ejection of the water.